Section 3 Spanish Colonies and Independence

Conquistadores Spanish conquerors during the era of colonization in the Americas.

Epidemic A widespread outbreak, often referring to a disease

Nationalist A person or movement seeking self-rule or independence

Hernan Cortez A Spanish conquistador that conquered the Aztecs

Moctezuma The ruler of the Aztecs.

Francisco Pizarro A Spanish explorer that conquered the Incan civilization.

Tupac Amaru An Indian of Incan decent that led a revolt.

Simon Bolivar A revolutionary general, known as “The Liberator”, that liberated South American countries from Spanish rule in the 1800’s.

In 1519, a Spanish explorer named Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico with 600 soldiers.

What did Moctezuma think of the Spanish when they first met? What caught the Aztec’s off-guard? Aztecs thought the Spaniards were Gods Never had seen four legged animals The Spaniards wore armor which were unfamiliar to the Aztecs

Diseases killed thousands of Aztecs after the Spanish arrived.

What did the Spanish do to the Aztec civilization of Tenochtitlan? The Spanish destroyed Tenochtitlan and then built their own capital, known today as Mexico City.

After claiming much of what is now the Western United States, the Spaniards headed south to another rich civilization found in the Andes. Here they discovered the Incan Empire!

What strategies did Francisco Pizarro use to conquer the Incans? Pizarro captured the Incan ruler Atahualpa. Once captured, Atahualpa ordered his people to fill a room with gold and silver to win his freedom. Despite this, Pizarro ordered to have the Incan emperor killed. After Atahualpa’s death, the Spanish continued to conquer Incan lands. By 1535, the empire disappeared.

The Spanish colonial rulers treated the native peoples of Middle and South America poorly. Find four specific examples of mistreatment! Forced to work in gold and silver mines Forced to work on plantations Indians had no land rights Received none of the wealth from their labor

Spain and Portugal controlled most of Latin America from the 1500’s-1700’s.

Over time, how did Nationalist Movements affect the way Europeans in Latin America felt? Eventually the people that lived in Latin America wanted independence from the countries that colonized them (Spain and Portugal). They did not want to pay taxes to a country that was so far away!

What affect did famous revolutionaries such as Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin have on liberating South America? By the early 1830’s, almost all of the colonies in South America ruled themselves.

In 1810, the Mexican people revolted against Spain. After 11 years, Mexico won its independence. Although Mexico was finally independent, political unrest would continue over the next 100 years.

Why was there political unrest in Mexico under the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz? Give two reasons! The wealthy controlled most of the land The poor did not have land of their own

The Mexican Revolution lasted 10 years and claimed a million lives.